Honour | Remember | Carry Forward

On this Seder night, as we gather around our tables to tell the story of our people’s journey from anguish to hope, we make space to remember the men, women and children whose lives were taken in acts of terror on or as a result of October 7, 2023. Carry Their Light is a collective initiative born from the belief that memory must not be silent and that remembrance can be an act of courage, unity, and renewal. This partnership brings together three organizations, each committed in its own way to preserving memory and strengthening the Jewish future:

NEXT OCTOBER

Next October was founded to transform the pain of the October 7th attacks into a powerful force for hope and growth. Our mission is to help build 2,000 new Israeli startups - one in memory of every Israeli life lost in the war. Each startup in our community is matched with a bereaved family, working together to create innovative initiatives that carry forward the light of those who are no longer with us. Once a startup joins the Next October community, we empower their growth through exclusive access to our programs and a vast network of mentors, VCs, and business partners. Together, we are strengthening the Israeli economy and rebuilding our nation’s resilience in honour of our loved ones. We believe this is the ultimate Israeli & Jewish response to our enemies: while they came to destroy, we choose to build a brighter Next October. 

Please learn more about Next October and the important work they’re doing. 

Next October

FRIENDS OF SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER (FSWC)

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center is a leading Canadian human rights organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism and hate through education, advocacy, and social justice initiatives. Based in Toronto, FSWC promotes tolerance by teaching about the Holocaust, providing specialized training, and supporting victims of hate crimes. As a Jewish organization committed to remembrance and resilience, FSWC stands in partnership to honour the lives taken on or as a result of October 7, 2023, and to ensure that memory fuels moral responsibility.

THE HAGGADAH COLLECTIVE

Founded with the mission to elevate Jewish holidays through meaning, beauty, and intention, The Haggadah Collective creates thoughtfully designed ritual experiences that deepen connection and conversation around the Seder table. Through spiritual and aesthetic inclusions, it enables families and communities to experience Passover not only as tradition but as transformation.

WHAT WE ARE CREATING TOGETHER

The Carry Their Light Initiative invites us to honour the memory of those whose lives were taken on October 7, 2023 in a meaningful and tangible way. We invite you to visit the links provided, choose one or more of the souls whose lives were taken on October 7, 2023, and honour them at your Seder. Download the insert, write their name, and speak it aloud at your table. As you do, light a memorial candle in their memory. In this simple act, we bring their light into our homes, ensure their names are carried forward, and remember together — as one people.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1. Choose a Name

Below you will find links to the victims of October 7, 2023. Take a few moments to read through the names and choose one - or several - that you feel called to honour.

Swords of Iron: Civilian Casualties Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mapping the Massacres

חללי המלחמה  | את"צ

2. Download the Carry Their Light Insert (see below)

Include it in your Haggadah. If you are using The Haggadah Collective Haggadah or Hug-It-Out, place the insert beside page 14 — The Matzah of Anguish, Hope and Healing, linked below. If you are using a different Haggadah, simply incorporate it at a meaningful moment in your Seder.

3. Speak Their Name

After reading The Matzah of Anguish, Hope and Healing, read the Carry Their Light Initiative insert (prayer) and say the name of the person(s) you’re honouring. You may wish to invite each person at your Seder to select a different victim’s name so that multiple lives are said aloud around your table. This could be incredibly powerful.

“Do you know how sacred it is to love someone who left their body and became the sky. Saying their name feels like the closest thing to a prayer.”

- Sara Rian, Poet

May the simple act of remembrance bring light to your Seder table and into the world. Amen.